Lang Jiuchuan entered Tongtian Pavilion, and without any announcement, barged directly into Feng Ya’s Void Refining realm. The two of them locked eyes across the space and said nothing.

“Still as impressively built as ever.” Lang Jiuchuan looked at his completely unclothed figure and said in a flat, dry tone.

Her eyes wandered, and her peripheral vision inevitably drifted toward the hand reaching for his robes — then she looked away.

As expected, only by barging in unannounced could one catch a glimpse of a beautiful man fresh from his bath.

“And you are still, as ever, utterly shameless.” Feng Ya returned the remark with a cold laugh, pulling on his robes. “The world holds that men and women should not sit together past the age of seven. Even a Daoist practitioner who pays little mind to minor conventions knows the principle of not looking at what one should not look at. A few years ago you could still hide behind being young and ignorant, but now — what would you say? That you’ll take responsibility for having seen everything?”

“How is that possible — taking responsibility just for one look? Would that not be a terrible loss?” Lang Jiuchuan widened her eyes and said, “Besides, it’s not as though I haven’t seen it before. What’s wrong with one look? Who knew you’d be bathing at this exact moment?”

Feng Ya looked at her straining to argue her case, gave a cold snort, and made his unhurried way to the table to sit down. He asked, “What are you barging in here for?”

He noticed the dense golden light of merit surrounding her. His thin lips pressed together briefly, and he said, “You put in a great deal of effort in dealing with the corpse-ghost affliction.”

He had been avoiding involvement in mortal affairs as much as possible these days, to keep himself from being bound and struck down by the laws of Heaven and Earth — but with Tongtian Pavilion at his disposal, he was not entirely unaware of what transpired in the mortal realm. Especially regarding the corpse-ghost matter, as Lang Jiuchuan had been going everywhere to relieve suffering and save lives.

“Mm.” Lang Jiuchuan sounded somewhat weary. “I’m a little tired. Let me sleep for a while first, then we can talk.”

Without any ceremony, she climbed onto the black jade bed he kept in the corner. The primordial Yin energy within the black jade enveloped her, and very quickly her entire being relaxed, her breathing becoming long and even.

Feng Ya: “……”

He sat at the table and poured himself drink after drink, until an entire jar of wine was empty. Only then did he walk to the bedside and look down at her from where he stood.

She must not have slept for some days. There was a faint shadow of darkened skin beneath her eyes. Her face was porcelain-white as jade, and resting against the black jade pillow, it appeared even more stark and pale. Her brows were drawn together.

Even in sleep she was not at ease. Despite her body being nourished by a whole accumulation of merit that should sustain her spirit and soul, she was too full of worry, unable to set things down, and naturally unable to find rest.

Feng Ya lit a stick of merit incense at the bedside, then formed a complex seal and pressed it against her brow.

The furrow between Lang Jiuchuan’s brows smoothed open.

Only then did Feng Ya sit with satisfaction at the foot of the bed, cross-legged, hands forming a seal, operating his Nine Abyssal energy as he entered a meditative state to cultivate.

Lang Jiuchuan did not sleep for long, but having fallen asleep in a place where she felt safe and entirely without guard, even though the duration was short, she slept deeply. And so when she awoke, her mind was refreshed and clear.

That black jade bed was a remarkable thing. She would have to get one for herself when she had the chance.

Lang Jiuchuan ran her hand across the black jade beneath her, savoring the primordial Yin energy within it with undisguised longing. She glanced over at Feng Ya, still in his meditative state, and settled cross-legged on the bed, arms wrapped around her knees, gazing at him in stillness.

This person was truly beautiful to look at.

No wonder, on their first meeting, she had taken him for a celestial being who had wandered by mistake into the mortal world. He was, in truth, an immortal — and even if his immortal rank was among the humblest of the five, a ghost immortal still counted as one of the five. Yet that immortal rank had been cast aside, shattered, all to save her.

Every realm had its laws. He had used an immortal’s power to meddle in the affairs of the mortal world, and the laws would inevitably descend — stripping him of everything, suppressing his strength.

He had also nourished her lingering soul with his own spiritual power, and then forcibly sent a portion of it down into the underworld, so that the Profound Dark energy of the Netherworld could sustain it.

Feng Ya was the person who had held her up with all his strength. He was also the only person she owed a debt to across both her lifetimes.

Lang Jiuchuan reached out, drawing in the Nine Abyssal energy swirling at his side, condensing and playing with it between her fingertips.

She wondered whether she would have the chance to repay it in this lifetime.

Lang Jiuchuan thought for a moment, then stilled both hands. From within her dantian and sea of consciousness, she drew out a thread of merit and the power of her accumulated vows, and channeled it into his Nine Abyssal energy.

Should the day truly come when the old monster sacrificed her and killed her, she could not allow all her merit and vow-power to benefit him alone. She would leave a little for Feng Ya.

The moment that thread of merit-vow power mingled into the Nine Abyssal energy, Feng Ya sensed it immediately. The corner of his brow twitched slightly, but not wishing to interrupt his cultivation, he only quickened his absorption, drawing all the energy back together, and then gradually eased out of his state, opening his eyes.

His pair of eyes, black as polished obsidian, held depths with no visible bottom. He looked toward Lang Jiuchuan, and with a furrowed brow said, “What are you doing? Do you find this merit too hot to handle?”

Lang Jiuchuan smiled and said, “Your grace and kindness are beyond repayment. Offering myself to you would only be asking for embarrassment, given this modest frame of mine. So there’s only this little bit that might actually be of use — I’m giving you some.”

“I don’t need it.”

Lang Jiuchuan gave a light snort and regarded him sideways. “Mouth says no, but the body is very honest.”

Feng Ya’s expression darkened. He moved to draw that thread of vow-power back out, but Lang Jiuchuan moved faster and pressed his hand down. “Don’t act up. I was wrong, all right?”

“You have strength and nowhere to put it to use. Knowing your enemy is powerful, rather than storing your strength and bolstering yourself, you want to go play the generous benefactor instead — are you in such a hurry to die?” Feng Ya said in a low voice. “I could save you once, but I cannot save you a second time. Once I could defy the laws of the mortal world’s Heaven and Earth — a second time…”

“I know, I know. A second time and we’d both be dead.” Lang Jiuchuan said. “So if I find I cannot overcome him, don’t exhaust yourself on my behalf.”

The expression on Feng Ya’s face grew increasingly cold and dark.

“I said ‘if’ — just ‘if.'” Lang Jiuchuan wore an ingratiating smile and said, “Rebirth is no easy thing. Heaven gave me one chance. I don’t believe it would give a second, unless I were Heaven’s own daughter.”

“No need for jokes and evasions, putting on that look of someone who’s about to leave their last testament behind. If you have something to say, say it.” Feng Ya’s tone was deeply displeased, his chin tilted up ever so slightly with complete arrogance.

Lang Jiuchuan let her smile fade, and said, “Back then, you once told me not to place too much trust in anyone — including yourself, and including Tantai Qing. Did you know even then what kind of person he was?”

“What kind of person he is, this immortal… I did not know him, but he is nothing more than a villain in someone else’s skin — a man of false virtue and moral pretense, capable of deceiving a young woman like you who had not yet experienced much of the world, but incapable of deceiving the clear sight of my dharma eyes. That so-called National Preceptor is nothing but a false identity stolen through deceit and fraud.” Feng Ya pressed his lips together. “Had I known he was so utterly depraved, I should have removed you by force long ago, and you would not have had to suffer being suppressed and sealed.”

A note of regret entered his voice.

“There’s no need to blame yourself. That was my destined tribulation.” Lang Jiuchuan said. “You have cultivated for countless thousands of years. Can you tell me anything of a man named Tantai Wuji?”

Feng Ya said, “I am a ghost cultivator. I have a natural antagonism with the mortal world, so I have spent most of my cultivation in the Netherworld. Beings like us — spirits and ghosts — find the great Dao even harder to attain than mortals do. Cultivation demands absolute focus; where would I find the leisure to concern myself with the tangled affairs of every random person? If it were not for you wandering into the Netherworld by mistake all those years ago, we would never have come to know each other.”

Lang Jiuchuan smiled ruefully. “Then knowing me truly was your punishment — costing you countless thousands of years of cultivation!”

“Say something like that again and get out!”

He cast a single glance at Lang Jiuchuan, then said coldly, “A mere ghost immortal rank — I cultivated it, so naturally I can let it go. I act only as my heart dictates, and I have never sought repayment. If you continue being so sarcastic and contrary, don’t blame me for throwing you out.”